Singapore International Commercial Court (SICC)

Building on Singapore’s reputation of having a world-class judiciary that is well-known for its efficiency, competence and integrity, the Singapore International Commercial Court (SICC) was established specifically to provide parties with a prime destination for international commercial dispute resolution. The SICC offers parties an efficient dispute resolution process adjudicated by a panel of experienced judges comprising specialist commercial judges from Singapore and international judges from both civil law and common law traditions.

The SICC is a division of the Singapore High Court. It offers the option of a court-based dispute resolution mechanism focused on international and commercial disputes, even where the dispute has no connection with Singapore and is not governed by Singapore law.

The SICC has a number of key features, like a diverse panel of eminent international and local jurists, which differentiate it from other Courts.

Others include:

More options for representation: A party to proceedings may, in certain circumstances like offshore cases, be represented by foreign counsel, who must be registered with the SICC and be subject to a Code of Ethics. Foreign counsel may also appear to address the SICC on matters of foreign law.

More flexible court procedures: Court procedures in the SICC follow international best practices for commercial disputes. However, due to the international and commercial nature of disputes and the parties, the SICC’s court procedures are flexible in various respects:

Confidentiality: The Court generally takes a more liberal approach in granting confidentiality orders for offshore cases

Rules of evidence: Ability to apply to the Court to adopt rules of evidence that you are familiar with

Determination of foreign law: Questions of foreign law may be determined on the basis of submission instead of proof

Document production or discovery: The document production rules are similar to that in the International Bar Association Rules on the Taking of Evidence in International Arbitration

Costs: Costs are at the discretion of the Court, with the general principle that the unsuccessful party shall pay the reasonable costs of the proceedings to the successful party